STOCKTON-
About 7,100 violent and dangerous criminals are now off the streets, according to U.S. Marshals. That includes 98 in Stockton, as part of a six week operation called Violence Reduction 7.
Dozens of hand guns and rifles are now off the streets and tagged as evidence. These weapons are just a fraction of the hundreds of firearms seized nationally by a U.S. Marshals led initiative called Operation Violence Reduction 7.
“No one got hurt. We did not hurt any suspects, and I think that’s really important to make in these days,” Albert Najera with the U.S. Marshals said.
Marshals said in Stockton alone, more than 98 fugitives are off the streets. Dangerous criminals accused of crimes ranging from murder to sexual assault, like 23-year-old John Miller, who Chief of Police Eric Jones claimed sexually assaulted at least two teens while on the loose for two years.
“What the U.S. Marshals brought are some resources that gave us the ability to get those arrests that you are seeing here today,” Jones said.
Law enforcement agents added that the combined efforts from the past six weeks have relieved a great deal of weight from police forces in Lodi, Stockton and Oakland. Despite the many contacts they’ve made throughout the six weeks, the Stockton Police Department says they’ve had to let go of some of the suspects, some of which had lesser charges including drug possession.
While thousands are off the streets and are awaiting their day in court, Stockton Crimestoppers took Thursday as an opportunity to ask for the public’s help in finding two more dangerous criminals, Taneaa Johns, accused of human trafficking, and Antoine Slaughter, who is wanted for on a $3.5 million firearms warrant.
The other cities in this operation include Camden, New Jersey; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; New Orleans, Louisiana and Chicago, Illinois.
Oakland was considered a part of Stockton’s efforts and U.S. Marshals claimed they had arrested 7,127 people including 750 gang members, seized 383 firearms and more than 69 kilograms of illegal narcotics. Ten missing children were also recovered.